Container handle construction



April 11, 1961 w. G. PHILLIPS ETAL 2,979,253

CONTAINER HANDLE CONSTRUCTION.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1956 T E 8 m M m TLLS E mmum N VP V on m .0 m T E 0M A Y M M L L N E B Apnl 11, 1961 w. G- PHILLIPS EI'AL 2,979,253

CONTAINER HANDLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 INVENTORS WALLACE G. P/l/LL/PS WILL/AM 0. HALL HE/VRY MOVE/737F557 WLW ATTORNE Y8 United States Patent "CONTAINER HANDLE CONSTRUCTION Wallace G. Phillips, 3698 Sueirro St., Hayward, Calif., and William 0. Hall, 15075 Churchill St., and Henry H. Overstreet, 60 Via Amigos, both of San Lorenzo, Calif.

Filed Aug. 16, 1956, Ser. No. 604,474

3 Claims. Cl. 229-54 This invention relates to containers, especially of the bag type, and more particularly to a bag handle construction, and method of attaching handles to bags which are usually of the type provided with a closure tape or band secured completely over the bag mouth or end. 7

Conventional multi-wall paper bags are widely employed for the packaging of numerous products, among which are charcoal, dog biscuits, peat moss and sugar. Products of this type are frequently packaged in such bags of relatively light capacity as high as 25 lbs., compared to larger capacity bags employed for packaging of products such as cement, in capacities up to 100 lbs. or more. Such bags are generally sealed or closed with conventional paper closure bands or tapes folded over an end or mouth of the bag and stitched to the bag side walls.

It is rather cumbersome for a purchaser of such type of product usually found in a retail grocery store to grasp the body of the bag and lift the same for deposit into a shopping receptacle or other vehicle, even though the bag may not contain more than 25 lbs. of product. The present invention is designed to overcome this problem by the provision of a handle on such type of bag, which can be economically and quickly applied in the manufacturing operation of the bag when the aforementioned closure band is applied to the bag in a conventional manner, and which will facilitate handling of the bag for transportation. However, if the product which the bag is adapted to package does not require a closure tape, the handle can still be applied with stitching that secures the handle and closes the bag.

Summarizing the invention, it comprises a bag handle secured to the bag by the same means, generally stitching in the formof stitched thread but which may be stitching 'in the form of a series of staples, that is employed for closing a bag end, and usually for securing the aforementioned closure band or tape to the bag. Such handle is ing station to thereby provide a free handle forming loop in the handle strip.

. From the preceding, it is seen that the invention has as its objects, among others, the provision of an improved handle construction on a container, such as a bag, whereby the handle is secured by the same means that closes an end of the bag, and which can be effectively and economically applied during a conventional operation will become apparent from aperusal of'the following 7 more detailed description.

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Referring to the drawings which illustrate a desirable embodiment of the invention wherein the bag is closed by aconventional closure band or tape:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation view of a typical multi-wall paper bag having a closure band folded over an end thereof, and to which the handle of this invention is stitched by the same stitching securing the closure band;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified construction wherein a handle is applied to each of the opposite sides of a bag, together with a conventional so-called filter strip; a portion of the structure being omitted from the view to illustrate the construction more clearly;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the bag shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken in a plane indicated by line 5-5 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a similar section taken in a plane indicated by the line 6-6 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken in a plane indicated by the line 7--7 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a similar section taken in a plane indicated by the line 8-8 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a schematic plan view of certain parts of a conventional bag sewing machine, illustrating the method by which the bags are continuously moved, and the aforementioned handle strip and closure band applied and stitched.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary schematic plan view illustrating how the aforementioned handle loop is intially formed with a bag in one position with reference to a fixed conventional stitching station;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 with the bag moved further in its direction of travel and illustrating complete formation of the handle loop;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary schematic end elevational view of the stitching station, looking in the direction'of arrow 12 in Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary schematic plan view illustrating the operation with a filter cord simultaneously stitched with the handle strip and the closure band;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 13 but illustrating the manner in which a handle strip is applied to each of the opposite sides of the bag; V

Fig. 157is a fragmentary end elevational view in the direction of arrow 15 in Fig. 14.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the bag with which the looking invention has found great applicability is a conventional multi-wall paper bag 2 having the usual gussets 3 at the side ends of the bag. An end 4 of the bag (only one of which is shown in the drawings, but the other which may the. manner of applying closure band 6 to the. bag as will subsequently be described in detail, projecting portions 12 of the band extend beyond the side endsvof the bag; and stitching. 11 secures together flaps 8 of each band projection. V

A bag handle strip 13 is secured to the bag and to flaps 8 of closure band 6 by the same stitching 11 which secures the band to the bag. Strip 13 has laterally spaced apart leg portions 14 and anintermediate loop 16 which provides the handle. -Leg portions 14 not only extend over and are secured to spaced apart portion;

3 of closure band 6 which overlie the side walls of the bag, but are also secured by stitching 11 to projecting portions 12 of the band.

It will be noted that loop 16 is unstitched to the bag, and is consequently free to be turned upwardly so it can be grasped by a hand. Also, loop 16 extends in a direction away from bag end 4, or in other words, does not project beyond such end but overlies a side wall of the bag. Such arrangement enables neat and smooth stacking of bags in a pile for packaging, transportation, or storage.

Any suitable flexible strip material may be employed to provide the handle strip such as is now commercially employed for other types of bag handle arrangements. It is only necessary that the handle strip be sufficiently strong for the load the bag is to carry. Paper strap may be utilized but it is preferred to employ round jute or cotton cord as the handle strip.

In the modification of Figs. 1, 2, and 6, a handle strip 13 is stitched to only one side wall of the bag, as this arrangement is satisfactory for the purposes intended with respect to bags of relatively light capacity. However, the bag may be provided with two handle strips, each of which is secured to a wall 9 of the bag in the manner described with respect to Figs. 1 and 2 so as to provide two handle loops 16 both of which match each other, so that when they are turned to project above end 4 of the bag, they match and may be grasped simultaneously.

Such two handle construction is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 7 and 8 to which the same reference numerals have been applied for the elements corresponding to those of the one handle embodiment. In the two handle embodiment, so-called conventional filter cords 17 are shown stitched to the bag by the same stitching 11 securing leg portions 14 of the handle strips and band 6. This filter cord which may be any suitable flexible material such as flat paper strap or round cotton or jute fiber, is sometimes employed to prevent sifting of powdery or powder forming material through the bag openings resulting from the stitch holes. If desired, filter cords 17 may be employed with bags having only one handle.

Although the described handle arrangement is disclosed in the embodiments of the invention illustrated on a multi-wall side gusseted paper bag, it can be employed on single wall or non-gusseted paper bags, or bags made of other flexible materials. Also, it may be utilized on valve bags of various types, as all of these band 6 is drawn on the form of a continuous strip from a parent supply roll 24 thereof freely journalled at 25, through a conventional band folder mechanism 26. The ends 4 of the bags pass through folder 26 which has suitable stationary guide surfaces (not shown) that fold the band to form the side flaps 8 between which the ends of the bags become positioned; and during the movement of the bags, the band is stitched to the bag side walls 9 adjacent ends 4 by means of stitcher S which aforementioned projecting portions 12 which extend bebags are conventionally closed by closure bands of the I character described; and the handle strip can be stitched onto the bag simultaneously with the stitching of the closure band, and the loop 16 formed simultaneously with the stitching operation by the following method.

The described handle arrangement is formed on the bag as an added step in the heretofore conventional method of folding band 6 over an end of the bag and stitching the same to the bag. Fig. 9 illustrates schematically the apparatus for accomplishing such method with the added step of the present invention. In such method, a continuous series or succession of bags 2, which are previously tubed in a conventional manner, is moved in one general direction indicated by direction arrow D, by means of spaced continuously moving endless conveyor chains 21 forming part of a conventional bag sewa conventional needle 23 shown in Fig. 12. Closure yond the side ends of the respective bags.

In the method of this invention, the bag handle strip 13 is also initially in the form of a continuous strip of material fed from a free parent roll 28 of the same journalled at 28'. Strip 13 is drawn through stitcher S simultaneously with the feeding of band 6 and in cooperative relationship with the band. Strip 13 is however, guided through an eye 29 of a guide member 31 which is located at a fixed station in front of stitcher S but which is mounted for movement back and forth by suitable mechanism (not shown), in timed relationship with the movement of the bags and in a direction transverse with respect to the line of movement of the bags.

Eye 29 in guide member 31 is normally maintained directly in line with stitching needle 23, so that a leg portion 14 of a bag handle becomes stitched to the bag with band 6 at the right hand side of any given bag when it first reaches the stitching station. When such bag has been moved to a position with reference to stitcher S to the right of the center line of the bag, bag handle strip 13 is moved by guide 31 away from the bag end so as to be out of line with stitching needle 23, thus commencing formation of handle loop 16, as is indicated in Fig. 10.

After further movement of the bag, eye 29 is moved back in line with the stitching needle 23, as is indicated in Fig. 11 so that handle strip 13 becomes secured to the left portion of the bag with band 6, thus resulting in formation of the completely free loop portion 16 of the handle. This operation is repeated sequentially on all bags as they move past stitcher S. Then the successive bags are separated by the aforementioned cutter 27.

Fig. 13 illustrates the operation when a conventional filter cord 17 is applied. Another freely rotatable supply roll 32 of a continuous filter cord strip is provided, and stitched in simultaneously with handle strip 13 and the band strip 6. The usual fixed guide 33 is provided for the filter cord, ahead of stitcher S.

Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate the operation wherein handles are formed on each of opposite sides of the bag. Such operation is the same as previously related with respect to Figs. 9, 10 and 11 except that another handle strip 13 is fed from another freely journalled supply roll 34 from which the handle strip is supplied to the underside of the bag, as well as to the top side. For this purpose, cord guiding member 31 is provided with a looped extension 36 having another guide eye 37 located underneath the bags. Eye 37 thus guides the handle strip from supply roll 34 in and out of line with the stitching mechanism in the manner described. If desired, handle arrangements of the type described may be applied to both ends or 1 band, the closure band may be omitted with certain types of products that are relatively non-siftable, such as vegetable products, for example, beans or potatoes. When the closure band is omitted, the handle strip alone may be stitched to the bag by the above described method whereby the bag is simultaneously closed by the continuous line of stitching 11 extending transversely across the entire width of the bag and which secures the opposite side walls of the bag together, to thus provide the improved handle and closure construction.

We claim:

1. A bag-type container having opposite side walls substantially coextensive with each other providing an open end structure, a U-shaped closure band covering the end structure with the legs thereof extending downwardly upon and into engagement with the side walls, the closure band being longer in length than the width of the bag and extending beyond the side walls on each side of the bag, a cord overlying one of the legs of the closure band intermediate the vertical height thereof and being of a greater length than the closure band, the cord having a central portion and leg portions, the leg portions of the cord lying along the outer face of the closure band and the ends of the leg portions terminating substantially at the corresponding ends of the closure band with the central portion of the cord being bowed away from the leg of the closure band, a row of stitching coextensive with and intermediate the vertical height of the closure band and extending substantially along the medial portion of the leg portions of the cord, the stitching passing through the leg portions of the cord, the legs of the closure band and the opposite side walls of the bag and effecting the closing and sealing of the entire end structure of the bag and leaving the central portion of the cord free a portion of which extend slightly away from the end structure of the bag and the closure band providing a handle loop for carrying the closed bag.

2. A bag-type container as recited in claim 1 wherein a filter strip coextensive with the closure band and overlying the leg portions of the cord is stitched with the stitching to prevent sifting of the contents of the closed bag through the openings made by the stitching.

3. A bag-type container as recited in claim 1 wherein a like cord having leg portions and a central handle portion is stitched with the stitching to the opposite side of the closure band in the same manner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,207,267 Bates Dec. 5, 1916 1,520,071 Nestor Dec. 23, 1924 1,693,110 Faistenhammer Nov. 27, 1928 2,199,005 Marsh Apr. 30, 1940 2,260,191 Orr Oct. 21, 1941 2,491,929 Orchard Dec. 20, 1949 2,625,318 Ross Jan. 13, 1953 2,739,755 Ottinger Mar. 27, 1956 2,745,593 Brady May 15, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,121,191 France Apr. 30, 1956 

